MBABANE – The race for the 2026 Made in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards has entered its final stretch, with public voting set to close on Wednesday, September 16, ahead of the awards ceremony the following day.
The awards will be held on Thursday, September 17, at the Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane under the theme “Imagine the Impact.”
Organisers say the final days of voting could prove decisive as nominees rally consumers to support their preferred local brands, products, services, experiences and designs.
Melusi “Zox” Dlamini, Executive Chairman of A Peculiar People, the architects behind the Made in Eswatini ecosystem, said the awards were designed to give consumers a direct voice in recognising businesses contributing to the local economy.
“These awards were never intended to simply be a popularity contest. They are an opportunity for consumers to say which local brands they believe deserve to be seen, supported and celebrated,” said Dlamini.
This year’s awards feature a digital voting system powered by MTN MoMo, with each vote costing E1. Consumers can vote for one or more nominees and allocate multiple votes to their preferred brands.
According to the organisers, votes are only recorded after successful payment confirmation, with systems in place to prevent double counting.
CLOSE RACE
Dlamini said voting trends indicate strong mobilisation across several categories, with nominees relying on consumer loyalty, community support and the strength of their products and businesses.
“What is exciting is that we are seeing different kinds of support emerge. Some brands have strong consumer loyalty, some are mobilising their communities, while others are benefiting from the strength of their products and the stories behind their businesses,” he said.
He warned nominees against assuming that current positions are final, noting that rankings in a consumer-voted competition can change significantly during the final hours.
“The leaderboard can change very quickly in a consumer-voted competition. A brand that is behind today can potentially close the gap tomorrow,” said Dlamini.
The official awards platform provides live results based on confirmed votes. Organisers said the live-results system was still synchronising its latest confirmed data at the time of publication, with final positions to be determined once voting closes.
For Dlamini, however, the significance of the awards goes beyond winning.
He described every vote as an economic choice that can contribute to creating demand for locally produced goods and services.
“Every buying decision is economic activism. When we deliberately choose a product, service, experience or design created here in Eswatini, we are helping create demand. Demand creates markets, markets create businesses, and businesses create opportunities and jobs,” he said.
The Consumer Choice Awards form part of the broader Made in Eswatini movement, which seeks to strengthen consumer trust, visibility and market access for responsible enterprises operating in the country.
The Made in Eswatini definition was launched by HRH Princess Sakhizwe on July 10, 2026. It recognises products, services, experiences and designs genuinely created, produced, transformed or delivered from Eswatini by responsible enterprises.
FINAL CALL
With voting closing on September 16, Dlamini has urged consumers to use the remaining time to support the local brands they believe deserve recognition.
“This is the final stretch. If there is a local brand you believe in, now is the time to show it,” he said.
“Don’t simply tell them you support them. Vote for them. Share their story. Buy from them. Recommend them.”
The winners will be announced on September 17 at the Hilton Garden Inn Mbabane, where nominees, previous winners, partners, sponsors, business leaders and other stakeholders will gather to celebrate businesses contributing to Eswatini’s economic future.
Voting remains open until September 16 through the official Made in Eswatini Consumer Choice Awards platform, with votes processed via MTN MoMo.
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